Germans are so mannerly and quaintly formal (that's when they are at home, not when they're travelling in boorish groups :^)), that any situation you're in can be turned to your advantage by starting your sentence with that brief phrase.

If you approach a German---especially an older German, but it works surprisingly well with even the brashest youth sometimes---with that polite phrase which essentially means "Excuse me", but really means so much more, it's almost like placing a social obligation on the listener to respond graciously to deal with whatever problem you have--whether you need directions, or help figuring out a menu item, where the bathroom is, or anything else. It almost never fails...and it's saved my butt any number of times, getting me the information I need and calming irate natives.